most vicious creatures

The New York Ghost

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PUBLIC NOTICE: BE VIGILANT! BE PREPARED! BE SAFE!

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GRINDELWALD THREAT: IS FLAMBOYANT FAWLEY DOING ENOUGH?

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THESEUS SCAMANDER TO LEAD THE HUNT AGAINST GRINDELWALD FROM BRITAIN

The New York Ghost 

BEAST OWNERSHIP-BAN CONTINUES IN THE US 

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PIQUERY CALLS FOR CALM

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I.C.W SECURITY ADVISORS CALL IMMEDIATE CONFERENCE IN ANTWERP 

The New York Ghost

WHERE IS GRINDELWALD?

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WO IST GRINDELWALD?

Voix Magique

A LA RECHERCHE DE GRINDELWALD?

The New York Ghost

IS ANYONE SAFE?

On a bright December morning the HMS Temeresi sailed into New York city. The sun was bright, and the sky looked young and without a trace of clouds. The seagulls welcomed the ship with their songs. 

The passengers were all crowded on the deck welcoming the sight of the city. They leaned on the railing and pointed either at the approaching New York skyline or the Statue of Liberty. 

The people were smiling and laughing, the children were running and happy, excited about what the city held for them. Amongst the crowd, on a bench sat a stranger looking at the statue with great interest. 

This was Newt Scamander’s first time in New York. A tattered suitcase sat idly by his side. He had spent two years travelling the Americas but he had hardly visited a city, preferring to stay among the flora and fauna. He was a Magizoologist afterall. 

One of the catches on his tattered leather suitcase flung open on its own accord. He closed it and lifted the case up to his lap. Newt was tall, lean and weather-beaten as his peacock blue overcoat, his hair was auburn, he had hazel eyes, and his face full of freckles. 

He leaned and whispered like a parent gently warning a child “Dougal — settle down now, please. It won’t be long.” and rested his head on his hands on the case as he enjoyed the view of the approaching city. 

After a while he got up and walked towards the railing, with one hand in his pocket and the other clutching the case tightly, and admired the skyline. He remembered Violet Perks talking about New York, she’d said she liked the feeling of rush and life it brought. 

 Though now she lived in London with her children after marrying John Perks and working as the Care for Magical Creature Professor at Hogwarts, because she didn’t like many of MACUSA’s policies. Too regressive , she called them.

After the ship docked, Newt walked out on the gangplank with the other passengers. The shipyard was very crowded. Newt stood in the customs line and looked around, interested in everything. 

This wasn’t the first time he was travelling by ship, he had travelled loads of times, even before he was working on his book. Magizoologist Robert Lee preferred muggle transportation to magical ones. 

It’s not really travelling if you don’t see the journey , Robert liked to say and Newt agreed with him. 

 “Next!” called out the official and Newt moved forward handing him his passport. Newt had danced this dance before but it was still hard as every social interaction he had ever had. 

 As the official examined his tattered passport, Newt looked anywhere but at the official, who looked at Newt with the corner of his eyes, feeling suspicious of his restless manner. 

 “British, huh?” 

 “Yes,” Newt answered, trying his best to look the official in the eye. 

 “First trip to New York?” 

 “Yes!” No lie there.

 “Anything edible in there?” The official pointed towards the case,

 Newt placed a hand on his breast pocket because he felt movement there. “No,”

 “Livestock?” Newt hesitated, he didn't didn’t have livestock with him. Not really. Luckily, the catch of Newt’s case flew open again, and Newt quickly closed it again and said “Must get that fixed — ahh no.”

The official was suspicious. “Let me take a look.”

Newt was a little startled but he was prepared for it, he put the case on the table and discreetly turned a dial on the case to “muggleworthy” . The official spined it towards him and popped open the catch and lifted the lid. 

The case contained: Pyjamas, various maps, a journal, a magnifying glass, a scarf belonging to Newt’s school days, an alarm clock and binoculars. 

The official looked towards Newt, he felt something off about him but there was nothing incriminating that he could think of, “Welcome to New York.” said the official. Newt gathered the passport and case, and left as soon as he could. 

“Next!” the official called out behind Newt.

On the exit of the harbour Newt stood and sighed in relief. He looked at the sight in front of him, at the buildings that kissed the heavens above. Newt had a queer realisation, that New York City was after all another foreign environment to explore. 

****

 In another corner of New York a brownstone house had been reduced to rubble. Many reporters and photographers were surrounding it: clicking pictures, interviewing people. It happened in the early hours of the morning. So early that only the milkman had been able to witness it in its entirety. 

Fortunately. no one was harmed because the family living there were on vacation in Nevada.

The reporters were interviewing the milkman hoping for something happening but as the witness went on and on they realised there was probably nothing. 

“— and it was like a—” the milkman went on, he seemed shaken “— like a wind or like a — like a ghost — but dark — and I saw its eyes — shining’ white eyes —” 

The reporter was bored, he was expecting something interesting but all he saw was some delusional old man “— a dark wind — with eyes” he noted. 

 This had started a few weeks ago, it had gotten everyone tense. Most people thought that it was some electrical mishap, but some thought it was something much more sinister. So, this was just a normal round for our reporter and photographer friends. 

The witness continued “— like a dark mass, and it dove down there, down underground — I swear to God… into the earth right in front of me.”

As the milkman continued that someone ought to do something about it, that this mysterious thing was everywhere, a powerful wizard was walking onto the scene of the crime, doing his own investigation. 

He looked like Percival Graves, the Director of Magical Security in MACUSA. He had a certain confident aura surrounding him that would make others part ways for him but here, no one noticed him and that’s the way he preferred it.

A photographer came to the reporter who was bored listening to the witness, “Hey— did you get anything?” he asked. 

“Dark wind blah blah,” replied the reporter 

“It’s some atmospheric hooey. Or electrical.” 

Graves had moved up the steps and was examining the destruction with curiosity and was alert. Whoever did this hadn’t left he could feel the magic surrounding him. This made him tense yet excited. 

The reporter’s and the photographer’s conversation continued 

“Hey— you thirsty?”

“Nah. I’m on the wagon. Promised Martha I’d lay off.”

The wind started to pick up and swirl around the building but only Graves seemed interested in it. There was a sound of a crack that caught everyone’s attention and they looked at the wall of the house that was conjoining the broken one. 

They saw more and more cracks forming, the witness, the photographer, and the reporter slowly but hurriedly moved out of the way. But Graves stood there, watching curiously.  

Then suddenly, the ground of the broken house erupted. And out came the dark wind the milkman was talking about. The photographer and reporter stood in fear and disbelief while the milkman shouted “See! See! This is— this is it! The Dark Wind!”

The wind had angry eyes, it went again in the ground but others could see where it was moving because the road exploded where it went. People were running out of the way, and cars were being overturned. 

It came out of the earth and let out a guttural scream but others mistook it for an angry roar. It flew and hit a building then glided down and went into a subway station, the impact caused the windows of the entrance to break. 

There was chaos above the ground as people ran away. Everyone ran but Graves who followed the destruction caused by the monster with great interest. 

This thing had caused all this damage in just a matter of minutes, this thing was a danger to the public. Deep down within him he felt strange excitement but he didn’t let it show because Percival Graves wasn’t excited by destruction, he eliminated the cause.

****

In the city a woman walked with a purpose and with three children following her. Her name was Mary Lou Barebone, and the children were adopted but hers. 

There was Credence who was nineteen, Chastity who was sixteen and Modesty who was eight. The girls and Mary Lou were holding pamphlets while Credence was holding two large folded banners. 

 Mary Lou and Chastity walked with their heads held high like they had places to be, while Credence walked with his head low and his knuckles white due to holding the banners so tightly. With one hand he held Modesty’s, you could tell who was close with who.

He wore a hat that hid the fear within his eyes. He seemed scared, but of what? Nobody knew. Modesty walked with the same carelessness which suited a child, she looked at the high rises in the city in awe, even if she had seen it hundred of times. 

Upfront a man waited for them, he tipped his hat as they approached and started walking with them. Mary Lou gentured to Chastity to walk with her siblings and she obeyed. Credence always joked with Modesty that Chastity must be Mary Lou’s long dead daughter that she found by chance but didn’t know.  

“He has agreed to meet you at 3.”

The man was Langdon Shaw, the youngest son of the American newspaper magnate Henry Shaw. Langdon and Mary Lou had been in contact, he promised her that he would get her a column in Shaw News. 

“And will he meet us this time?” she asked not breaking her stride 

 “I will make sure he does,” Langdon said determinedly. 

 He was a determined man, but he still had the spark and hope in his eyes that you might see in the youth. Whatever the world had thrown at him had not managed to diminish that spark. Mary Lou had noticed it too and couldn’t help herself but pity him.

The world was always determined to blow out that spark in humans like a child blowing out the candles on a birthday cake. Sparks like that have no place in this world, that’s why she made sure to blow them out of her own children before the world got the opportunity to do so. 

She refused to make the same mistakes again. 

“What do you know of the explosions happening all around the city?” Mary Lou asked. 

“Officially it’s gas explosions.” Langdon teased with a grin on his face. 

“And unofficially?”

“A demon,” then he whispered, “Magic.”

And he laughed. He was excited. No one but Modesty noticed Credence paling and that was only because Credence was gripping her hand tightly. She let out a small sound of distress and her brother immediately loosen his grip and apologised. 

 Mary Lou and Langdon had an interest in the same things. Unveiling the secrets of the world to the ignorant people who didn’t notice what was in front of them. While Langdon wanted to see this mysterious thing flourish because he knew there was beauty in it, Mary Lou wanted it gone.

 They had a strange kinship with this mysterious force and for Langdon it had been a good experience but for Mary Lou it had been one full of grief. None of them remembered what had happened but they remembered how they had felt. 

Both were different people and there were many things they didn’t agree on. But they were the only people who understood how the other felt about no one believing them so they stuck together. 

“Where are you preaching today?”

“Outside the National Steen Bank.”

Langdon was surprised, “The manager gave permission?”

“No,” Mary Lou answered, “But I will get enough time before we’re thrown out.”

“Good luck,” Langdon tipped his hat and walked away. While Mary Lou took a deep breath as her children joined her by her side. 

****

Newt Scamander was walking in the middle of New York City, clutching in one hand his trusted case and in the other a small piece of paper with directions. The street was crowded, people were in a hurry, almost running to their destination. 

There was a firetruck with its bells ringing. 

Newt had never seen buildings as tall as the ones in New York. He observed the foreign environment with a scientist's curiosity. He had always loved looking at people, especially the dance they did around each other called socialising. 

Despite mastering the mimicry of many creatures’ social habits, he had never been able to fully articulate the social habits of his own species. He was able to manage it if push came to shove yet he didn’t feel confident in his abilities. 

It had something to do with his rather poor experience with other people: mean bullies at school, condescending colleagues in the ministry, and even his own family looked at him as if he was defective. 

He had people with whom he was close though, like Violet, John, their children who were Newt’s godchildren, Robert and his ward Rosemary. And of course how could he forget Albus Dumbledore. 

He didn’t need to know new people. He was fine with the people he knew even if he felt he was looking at them through a foggy window. Sometimes loneliness came to sting but he was content in it. 

Even if he did miss his family a lot, especially his brother whose letter rested in the breast pocket of Newt’s coat. Their last argument had been bad, really bad.

 Newt regretted the things he had said and felt anger at things he heard in turn. He had vowed that this was it, that he would never talk to his brother again, that his brother had blown the second chance Newt had given him. 

 Now, since getting the letter he was reconsidering his stance. Maybe he’ll be willing to give Theseus a third chance.  He would answer the letter, of course. 

 After he finds the Appaloosa Puffskeins breeder that Dumbledore had told him would help him. 

A gathering at the steps of the National Steen Bank caught Newt’s attention. Mary Lou Barebone was speaking with a passion that told her audience that she wholeheartedly believed in what she was saying and she did believe her words. “... this great city sparkles with the jewels of man’s invention! Movie theaters. Automobiles, the wireless, electric lights— all dazzle and bewitch us!”

Newt stepped towards the gathering but was momentarily distracted by the metro train running on a bridge and during that distraction he bumped into Tina Goldstein who was eating her hot dog and spying on the gathering. She was a MACUSA employee. Her hat was low on her head, and her coat collar upturned as if she had something to hide. 

 “So, sorry.” Newt apologised and moved forward to get a better view. 

 Tina looked at him with suspicion, or was it curiosity? He was wearing a rather bright coloured coat, and there was something about careless demeanor and messy hair that she found… interesting. 

She wondered what her little sister would say of that man when she invaded Tina’s mind again that evening. “He isn’t ugly but he isn’t handsome either.” Tina snorted a laugh but covered it with a fake cough.

He is probably a no-maj , Tina thought to herself and felt a brief feeling of disappointment. 

 Newt watched Mary Lou with curiosity. Over the years, during his travels he had conversed with many muggles like her. Muggles who were religious and believed in magic but they considered magic and those who practiced it evil. 

 Mary Lou continued speaking. “But where there is light there is shadow, friend. Something is stalking our city, wrecking destruction and then disappearing without a trace…” 

 Newt didn’t judge her. He was simply observing her and her little gathering. He had observed humans enough to know that the people feared the unknown. 

 Jacob Kowalski looked at the bank with determination, even though the nervousness was radiating like the stench of a rotten fish off of him. He took a deep breath and thought of his heavenly-departed grandmother, and of his fiancee Mildred waiting for him and strided towards the bank.

 “We have to fight — join us, The Second Salemers, in our fight!” Mary Lou was saying.

 Newt had briefly put down his case as Jacob pushed past Tina, “Excuse me, doll just trying to get to the bank— excuse me — just trying to—”

 Jacob ended up tripping on Newt’s case. Newt helped him up “So, sorry…” he said “... my case.”

 Jacob looked a little annoyed but kindly said “No, harm done.” and pushed part to the bank. He knew that he wasn’t angry at this lanky, British stranger. It was the nervousness that had dialed up his emotions to the maximum capacity. There would be no point being angry at him, especially because he didn’t deserve it. 

 The commotion around Newt drew Mary Lou’s attention. She turned charming “You, friend!” she said. 

 Fuck , Newt thought startled. He wanted to come and get out of New York as unnoticed as possible. Now, he was the center of attention, something he didn’t like under normal circumstances let alone the circumstances that brought him to New York. 

“What drew you to our meeting today?” Mary Lou for the first time in her life saw no mockery nor judgement in this stranger’s eyes.

 She saw curiosity in them. She was used to getting laughs and rolling eyes at her. Seeing this stranger made her hopeful that maybe she might get a new recruit today. 

 “Oh… I was just — passing…” Newt settled on the truth. Without him realising, two little paws were trying to pry open his case.

 “Are you a seeker? A seeker after truth?” she asked eagerly, she wasn’t going to let him go. 

 Newt couldn’t help himself but say “I am more of a chaser, really.” Tina’s eyebrows quirked up while others around them laughed. Could this man be a wizard? She wondered. 

 On the steps of the bank there sat a beggar. A smartly dressed man took pity on him and flipped a coin towards him. Mary Lou was still speaking. “Hear my words and heed my warning and laugh if you dare: Witches live amongst us!”

 Mary Lou’s three children stepped forward and started handing out leaflets as Mary Lou said “We have to fight together for the sake of our children— for the sake of tomorrow!” Then she turned to Newt and asked “What do you say to that, friend?”

Newt wasn’t looking at Mary Lou, he was looking at the niffler. He looked down at his case and back at the Niffler called Teddy, who was hurriedly shoving the coins in his pocket. 

“Excuse me.” Newt said as he jolted forward and passed Mary Lou and her children.  

Mary Lou looked at him confused and felt disappointed at the loss of a potential brother in arms, then she turned back to the crowd and reiterated “Witches live among us…” and continued her speech.

Tina watched Newt disappear into the bank and decided to follow him inside. Maybe it was suspicion that had gotten her interested in him.